Love's Second Chance
by gdayrocker13
Summary: "Sometimes love needs a second chance, because it wasn't ready the first time." For high school senior, Jeena Sikor, her second chance would come in the form of a new student. However, past hurts and an overprotective brother doesn't always make things easy. And the occurrence of strange dreams seem to suggest that she may have lived once before... in another time and place
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: I had this story up originally, but sadly life took over and then I suffered from a sever lack of motivation. However, I have returned, and I am older and wiser. I will be rewriting the existing chapters so that they will be better than before, and I hope to create new chapters once that is done. Now, let me share some back story. I came up with this idea, a few years ago, on the night I rediscovered the movie, Stargate. Before that, I was watching The Mummy Returns. I got to thinking and my strange mind came alive with ideas. Thus, this story was born. I have many fanfic ideas, but this is the first and only one to be actually written and published. So, it holds a very special place in my heart and mind. Now, a few things before we get started. I have it take place in present time because I was two when the movie came out in 1994, and I hardly remember what life was like back then. I don't plan to have any characters from the TV series show up. Also, I made Ra live because, damn it, he is awesome and my favorite Goa'uld. Also, I do encourage reviews and I am open to suggestions, but I absolutely do NOT tolerate flames. If you don't like it, don't read it, and don't waste my time telling me how much you hate it. And the most important thing of all, this is my own story and no one else's. I did have an unfortunate incident where I was accused of plagiarism, because we unknowingly had similar plot ideas. Fortunately, it was all resolved but it has made me a bit wary. Now, enough of my rambling and enjoy.  
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**Disclaimer: *sigh* Let's get this part over with first. I do not own Stargate nor do I own Ra. I do own the plot and the original characters**

*Abydos, 18 years ago*

The sun was a ball of gold fire in a sapphire blue sky. It blazed down on a vast desert that stretched for miles without end. It blazed down on the planet's inhabitants digging in the naquadah mines.A harsh wind blew swiftly against them, stinging bare skin with sharp grains of sand. They continued their work, unmoved by the elements, toiling ceaselessly under the hot sun.

In the distance stood a majestic pyramid, the home of their god, Ra, who ruled over them with an iron hand. He demanded their unwavering loyalty and service in exchange for their lives. All who opposed him were met with brutal punishment, even death.

His subjects rarely saw their god in the flesh and when they did, he always wore a mask. They did not know the face behind the mask nor the man who wore it. They did not know what he felt or thought, and what was the point in knowing? He was a god, far removed from the petty concerns of mortals. His word was law and that was all they cared about.

Work or punishment, nothing in between. What was the point in trying to get into a god's head and understanding him? It was not beneficial.

So the workers continued on with their daily toil, with only a few glancing towards the pyramid every now and then, and silently wondering what their Lord Ra was doing right now.

* * *

><p>The First Prime of Ra was a man known for his courage and strength. He was brutal, swift, and not easily frightened. He stood tall next to his fellow guards and his face was perfectly composed. However, his heart was beating rapidly with fear, so rapidly it seemed to be trying to escape his chest. Every fiber in his body screamed for him to run far away and never return.<p>

This reason for this fear was simply due to the fact that he had come bearing bad news, and such news will be ill-received.

Warily, he eyed the slender figure of Ra standing tall and imposing before him, dressed in exquisite robes and adorned with a few beautifully crafted ornaments. He stood with his back towards his guards, staring out a large window that gave a view of the blue, cloudless sky. Light from the late afternoon sun ran through his dark hair and glinted off the gold around his throat. To the inexperienced eye, Ra did not appear to be very dangerous. His slender physique and delicate features lulled his foes into believing that he can be easily defeated.

The First Prime knew all too well that they were wrong. Ra was cunning and powerful, with an unspeakable wrath. The cruelty he imposed on his enemies would make even the most strong-hearted men tremble in fear. Now that wrath would be directed towards him, and the First Prime took a deep, silent breath to calm the wild beating of his heart. It was important that he appeared brave even though he could possibly lose his own life.

Ra turned from the window and fixed his dark eyes on his men. "What news do you bring me?"

The First Prime resisted the urge to flinch. He was used to the unnatural, flanged voice that Ra spoke with, but the words were delivered with a coldness and a vague but present note of hostility made his spine crinkle.

"My Lord, I regret to inform you, but the girl is dead." Ra's face remained expressionless but his eyes flashed with a furious white light. "You were supposed to bring her back to me alive," he said in a deadly voice. "She carried a hidden dagger, my Lord, which we did not know of. She used it to stab herself in her heart," the First Prime explained, trying to keep his voice from shaking. "She fell into the river below the cliff where we cornered her. It happened so fast, we were unable to prevent it." Ra narrowed his eyes. "Did you retrieve her body?" "We searched the entire river but there were no traces to be found. Forgive me, my Lord. I have failed you."

With these last words, the First Prime and his men quickly kneeled and bowed their heads. He could feel each beat of his heart and wondered if he was drawing his last breath. A light sweat broke out over him and he risked a surreptitious glance at his god. Ra stared down at him with cold contempt.

"Leave me," he said suddenly, turning his back on them. "All of you leave me. Now!" The last word came out like a crack of thunder.

With a hasty bow, the First Prime, his men, and the attending servants hurried out of the room. Every face bore relief that they were to live for another day.

* * *

><p>Only when he was completely alone did Ra allow himself to display his fury. With a swift raise of his hand and a red glow from his palm, a nearby vase was flung violently towards the wall and shattered into a thousand fragments on the smooth floor. Ra lowered his arm with his hand clenched tightly into a fist. Angry thoughts raged through his head.<p>

_"I have lost her! Those incompetent humans! If they had found her body, I would have been able to revive her. She would be here by my side instead of rotting in the river. Damn it all!"_

He gritted his teeth and his eyes flashed.

_"She was supposed to be mine. My queen. My Beloved. None of this would have happened had those fools not interfered." _

Ra seethed at the memory. He had disposed each of them but her brother had managed to resist him long enough to allow his sister's escape. Ra had taken a vindictive pleasure in killing him and allowed himself a moment to relive the memory. Then he closed his eyes and slowly began to take some deep breaths. Gradually, his body began to relax as he regained control of himself, and his mind began to work on possible solutions to his problem.

Lost in thought, Ra left his quarters and wandered around the palace. He ignored the fearful glances of the passing guards and servants who did not dare to say anything about his unusual behavior. He was did not have a particular destination in mind, until he reached an area of the great hall where, a few days ago, he had encountered her marveling over the carvings in the wall.

Staring at the wall, Ra remembered the conversation they had shared. It had been the first time they were alone together without one of her companions nearby. She had been nervous, only able to meet his eyes for a few seconds at a time before turning her face away. It had only succeeded in making her more appealing. Ra remembered that day vividly. He remembered the unique color of her eyes and the way her hand brushed back her hair. He could hear the sound her voice in his mind, explaining to him an interesting aspect of her people's beliefs.

_We believe in the power of reincarnation. To us, it is the rebirth of the soul in a new form, a new place, and a new time."_

In this flash of memory, Ra suddenly realized that he had solved his problem and a small smile formed on his lips_. _

_"She will be reborn and I will find her again. I shall search the whole universe even if it takes a lifetime."_

Feeling victorious, he returned to his quarters and once again stood at the window. He remained there until night descended and the planet's three moons shone brightly above the palace. Ra looked up at the stars glittering in the black sky_. _

_"I promise you, my love. I will find you again. And when I do, you will be mine." _


	2. Chapter 1

*Present day Earth*

_Beep. Beep. __**Beep. **_

The sudden noise of an alarm woke Jeena Sikor out of a sound sleep and she let out an annoyed groan. Fumbling until she managed to turn off the infernal alarm, Jeena sleepily checked the time, 6:30 am. Slowly, and with a huge yawn, she pushed back her blanket and climbed out of bed.

Since she had been sleeping in during the summer, she was not used to waking up so early. Today, however, was the first day of school and the first day of being a senior at Green Valley high school. Since it was something that she had been looking forward to for a while, she did not mind that it was a Monday.

Grabbing her bathrobe, Jeena headed towards the bathroom. Along the way, she ran into her brother, Jerry, coming out of his room.

Jeena and Jerry were twins with Jerry being the older twin by two minutes. They were identical with only a few obvious differences in height and gender. Both were eighteen with the same thick brown hair, golden eyes, and nicely formed features. Like all siblings, they had their differences. For one thing, Jerry was taller than Jeena and also more muscular. He was also more outgoing and had a tendency to act before thinking, while Jeena was a little more reserved and thought things out. Both twins could be stubborn which made arguments between them a hassle since neither one wanted to be the first to give in.

Despite this, they were extremely close and spend most of their time together.

"Hey Jeena Star!" Jerry grinned, "Are you ready for an awesome senior year?" "Oh, I'm ready," Jeena replied with another yawn. "And when I take my shower and actually wake up, I'll be even more ready." "Okay, I can take a hint when I'm in the way," said Jerry in a mock-hurt voice. He gave his sister another smile before heading downstairs.

Entering the bathroom, Jeena stripped out of her pajamas and took a nice shower. The warm water succeeded in washing away her sleepiness and cleared up her mind. After her shower, clad in her soft purple bathrobe, Jeena returned to her room and put on the outfit that she had laid out the night before.

The said outfit was a skirt made of a dark gray cloth and stopped a couple of inches above her knees, a blue blouse with a lacy, white camisole underneath, and a pair of silver high heels. She like these shoes because the heels were small so there was no chance that she would fall on her face. Lastly, she put on her favorite star earrings with a matching star bracelet.

She quickly examined her reflection in the mirror. Jeena was pleased by how nicely the outfit showed off her figure. She was around 5'7 with smooth, graceful limbs. Her breasts were full and her hips curved enough to show that she was female. Everyone told her that she was very pretty but she didn't think much of it.

Truth be told, she was a bit self-conscious and had plenty of days where she didn't feel the slightest bit beautiful. After applying her makeup, she grabbed her backpack and walked out of her room.

Walking into the kitchen, Jeena was greeted by the savory smell of pancakes. Jerry was already at the table and their mother, Clarice, was pouring herself some coffee. "Good morning, Jeena," she said. "I made chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast in honor of the first day of senior year." "Wow! Thanks mom," said Jeena.

Clarice smiled as she placed a plateful of pancakes in front of Jerry who immediately pounced right on them. Clarice Sikor was in her forties but looked like she was twenty five. She had the same brown hair as her children but her eyes were a deep blue. She told them that they had the same eyes as their father who left a long time ago.

Jeena greatly admired her mother not only because she was patient and kind-hearted, but she was also strong and determined. When Jeena and Jerry were young, shortly after their father had gone away, Clarice had managed to go back to school, take her bar exam, and become a lawyer. She currently worked at the law firm located near the center of town. Since it was not very large or overly busy, Clarice managed to get home to her children at the end of the day even if she did have to bring some paperwork along with her.

The twins agreed that they were blessed to have such a wonderful mom. Jeena was especially thankful that she could talk to her mom about everything and didn't have to worry about being judged. As she ate her pancakes, Jeena allowed her mind to wander. What she liked about the new school year was that it was a chance to start over, a time to make changes and fix the things that she didn't like from the year before.

Since this was her senior year and last year of high school, she had high hopes that everything would be right for once.

* * *

><p>Once breakfast was over and after the dutifully taken back to school photos, Jeena and Jerry were ready to leave for school.<p>

The small family had two cars, one for Clarice and one for the twins to share. They used it primarily for school and both had a set of keys in case they needed it for individual purposes.

After a brief "discussion" which involved a quick game of rock-paper-scissors, Jerry drove while Jeena sat next to him in the passenger's seat. The radio was on and Jerry tapped his fingers against the steering wheel in time to the music. Jeena looked out the window, watching the passing trees and houses.

It was a beautiful September day. The sky was a crisp blue with soft white clouds scattered here and there. The sun shone brightly and there was still the warm touch of summer in the air.

The sudden sound of Jerry's voice caught her attention. "Hey, check it out," said Jerry. "Someone moved into the house that was for sale." "Really?" asked Jeena, turning her head to look at the house. It was two stories tall and painted green with a black trim. The previous owners had moved out two years ago and the house sat empty despite the number of people who came to look at it. Now, a small pile of moving boxes sat near the sidewalk and the yard looked like it had just been trimmed.

"I wonder who moved in," said Jeena and Jerry shrugged in reply. "Who knows? Maybe we'll find out later"

Finally, they arrived at Green Valley High School and Jerry was able to snag a parking spot in the rapidly filling lot. Jeena felt a flutter of nervous excitement and unconsciously smoothed down her skirt. As they walked to the front doors, Jerry started chuckling.

"You do realize that we're going to be ambushed very soon?" he asked his sister. Jeena smiled and also laughed. "You know Benny. He runs on puppy time. He'll act like he hasn't seen us all summer despite the fact that we saw him two days ago."

The words were barely spoken when their friend, Benny Mitchell, hurtled towards them. "Jeena! Jerry! It's about damn time you got here!" he exclaimed with a huge smile on his face. "I've been waiting for ages!" "You had to wait for fifteen minutes, you goof," said Jerry, rolling his eyes. Benny gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder and hugged Jeena.

Benny was also eighteen but two months younger than the twins. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans with a bright yellow and green striped T-shirt. As usual, he had his camera slung around his neck and a bag of Skittles, his favorite candy, in his pocket. Messy light brown hair fell into his eyes, which were bright green and always containing a mischievous glint.

Benny was quite energetic, sometimes to the point of being hyperactive. He had times when he annoyed his friends, but despite his quirky personality, Benny was very fun to have as a friend.

"Hey everybody!" Jeena turned and saw her two other friends, Ashley Peterson and Eli O'Connor, walking towards her. Well, Ashley was walking and Eli was being pulled by his arm, a rather miffed expression on his face. Once they were close, she released his hand and Eli let out a small sigh of relief. "I can walk without being dragged, you know," he said in a dry tone. "I'm not a dog."

Ashley rolled her eyes but didn't comment. She had long blonde hair, brown eyes, a straight nose, and fine cheekbones. She wore a pair of white shorts that showed of her long legs with a pink shirt, which had a picture of a red heart outline by small red sequins. She was taller than Jeena, but not as curvy. Ashley had dreams about becoming a fashion designer and was always giving Jeena great advice for her clothes.

Eli was wearing his usual black jeans with a dark green T-shirt. He had black hair, blue eyes, and a small gold hoop in his right ear. He always looked serious and had a tendency to not show his emotions. However, Eli was their unspoken leader, mainly due to the fact that he was the oldest one of the group, but also because he was the one who held the group together.

"Eli," shouted Benny with exuberance, "I am so happy to see you!" He threw his arms around a rather disgruntled Eli while their friend looked on in his amusement. It was a long time ago when Eli could barely tolerate Benny's presence, but over time, the two boys came to an understanding and were now very good friends. There were still a few clashes between them every now and then, since Eli's stoic personality often clashed with the more outgoing Benny.

After everyone had exchanged greetings, the small group made their way into the large brick building that was Green Valley High School.

The five friends made their way through the crowded hall and into their homeroom. This year they were lucky enough to have the same homeroom, even though they did not all share the same classes.

"Can you believe that we are finally seniors?" Ashley asked as she sat down. "I've been waiting for this since freshman year." "Yeah! This year is going to be so much fun," replied Benny excitedly. "It's also going to be the most important year of our lives," Eli reminded them. "This is the year when we apply for college and see where our futures lead us."

"We have plenty of time for that, Eli," said Jerry. "Yeah and then you'll be panicking when spring arrives and you haven't filled out any applications," Eli replied in slight exasperation. "Don't worry so much," said Ashley soothingly. "We all know how important it is to apply for college early, and we'll all have our applications filled out with time to spare."

Eli made a noise in his throat as she ruffled his hair. Jeena watched them surreptitiously; glad to have a distraction from the sudden talk of college.

Ashley was Eli's self-proclaimed girlfriend, a fact that puzzled everyone to no end. No one knew how it had morning last year, the two of them had arrived together, holding hands. Ashly had announced that they were a couple, and Eli didn't confirm nor deny it.

Jeena wasn't exactly sure how their relationship worked. They didn't display a lot of affection towards each other and Eli did not always act like he was Ashley's boyfriend. Public displays of affection were rare except for a few cases during school dances. However, there were times when their true feelings were expressed and everyone could see how much they cared for each other.

Jeena felt a sudden small twinge of envy as she watched Ashley and Eli. It was a feeling that she had felt before and it made her uncomfortable. It reminded her that there was something she did not have. Fortunately, Benny's constant chattering took up her focus and she was able to forget about her unwanted feelings.

For the rest of homeroom, the five friends talked and joked until the bell rang and it was time for first period class.


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I didn't want to pack the first day of school into one chapter, so I broke it up a bit. Enjoy**

Jeena's first class of the day was Algebra, much to her chagrin. Math was her least favorite subject and she especially disliked having it so early in the morning. Not to mention the fact that this was the first time that she was taking it by herself.

As she walked into the classroom, Jeena wondered how she was possibly going to endure without her brother or one of her friends to make the wretched class more tolerable.

Mentally cursing, she picked a seat near one of the windows, noting that the one good thing about this class was that it had tables with comfortable chairs instead of desks. After setting her binder and pencils out on the table, she stared out the window at a big maple tree standing close by.

The classroom slowly filled with students chattering or complaining about being back at school. Jeena sighed and idly tapped her fingers on the desk, letting the noise just wash over her. So she was surprised when a sudden voice said, "Excuse me, but is this seat taken?"

Turning from the window, she opened her mouth to answer but froze. Standing before her was a boy who looked to be about her age if not a little older. This in itself was unremarkable, but it was the fact that this boy was pretty much the most handsome guy Jeena had ever laid eyes on.

He had smooth, lightly tanned skin with black hair that went a little past his shoulders. It was tied back away from his face and seemed to emphasize his perfectly formed features and dark, expressive eyes. His body was slender and he held himself in a straight, rather dignified way. He wore a pair of dark blue jeans and a white button down shirt with thin black stripes on it. A black backpack was slung over his shoulder completed the ensemble.

Three thoughts ran through Jeena's head in rapid succession.

_Oh my god, he is hot! Okay, that sounded a little lame even in my own head. Why does he look familiar? I never saw him before now. _

The new boy looked down at her, a slightly puzzled look on his face, and one dark eyebrow rose up. "Am I allowed to sit here? The seat is quite empty and the only one vacant." Jeena blinked and jolted back into reality. "Oh, I'm sorry," she flustered, "Of course you can sit here. Go right ahead!"_Smooth, Jeena, Real smooth. _

She pretended to organize her things while the boy sat down next to her and settled himself in.

Jeena breathed. _Right. Just introduce yourself. No need to make it difficult._"My name is Jeena Sikor," she said, remembering to smile and hoping there wasn't anything stuck in her teeth.

"A pleasure to meet you, Jeena." The boy replied in a voice that was a bit low and tinged with a slight Arabic accent. "My name is Rasui Ntyr." Jeena frowned a little in confusion. "It is pronounced _Net-jer_," Rasui explained. "It can be confusing to understand at first since it is an old Egyptian name"

"Oh so you are Egyptian," she inquired. Rasui nodded in confirmation. "And I assume this is your first year at Green Valley High?" "Yes, today is my first day of high school." Unfortunately, class began so Jeena was unable to talk more with Rasui.

Reluctantly, she listened as the teacher went over what they were going to do in class and began writing down a series of problems on the blackboard. Every now and then, Jeena stole discreet glances at her new classmate as the teacher droned on.

She couldn't help noticing the slenderness of his fingers and the rather elegant way he held his pencil. A strange urge to stroke his hand came over her and she quickly curbed it. One thing that Jeena noticed was the fact that Rasui was very good at math. He had all the problems solved before their teacher was done explaining the first step. Carefully, she peeked at his face. He was attentive, but his eyes were half closed and he looked bored.

_"I don't blame him,"_ Jeena thought,_ "I wonder why he's in this class in the first place? He's clearly much more advanced."_ Sensing that he was being watched, Rasui flicked his eyes in her direction. Jeena quickly looked away, heat creeping up her face, and resolutely kept her eyes on the blackboard until class was over.

* * *

><p>Out in the hallway, Jeena linger until Rasui made his way out of the classroom. She racked her brain for something to say and prayed that he wouldn't say anything about her staring at him. When he was finally beside her, she saw that he was taller than Jeena even though she was wearing heels.<p>

"You're really good at math," she said while mentally kicking herself for sounding so stupid. "Math comes naturally for me," he replied with a modest shrug. "That is true," she quickly agreed, "I saw your notes. You've practically had the problems done in seconds." "So you were looking at my notes?" he asked in a friendly yet sly way.

Jeena ducked to hide the blush forming on her cheeks and decided to change the subject. "What class do you have now?" Rasui looked down at his schedule. "English," he answered, "However, I do not know where the room is located." "Can I see your schedule?" Jeena asked, holding out her hand. He nodded and handed it over to her. She took it and quickly compared it to her own schedule.

To her surprise, they had all the same classes with the exception of gym and study hall. "We have the same classes together," Jeena said, "I guess this means you get to have me as your personal guide." "I could not have asked for a better one," said Rasui, giving her a smile that made her feel funny inside, but in a good way.

Rasui once again sat next to her during their English class and Jeena couldn't help but feel a little flattered. It was nice that a boy was looking to her for help, and a very cute boy too. Sure, she helped out Benny and Jerry, even Eli on a few occasions, but that was a different matter. This was someone who barely knew her and yet already seemed to consider her as a friend.

Once again, she couldn't resist sneaking a few peeks at him. For some reason, she found it difficult to not look at him. He seemed to carry an air of mystery around him and there was the vague feeling of having seen him before to consider. She decided that she really wanted to get to know him better and hoped that he would be willing to join her group of friends.

And be able to handle Benny's eccentricity.

When English was over, the two parted ways as Jeena headed to study hall and Rasui went to his gym class. She was relieved because the last thing she wanted was to become all hot and sweaty and have him see her like that. To her delight, Ashley was in the same study hall and Jeena bee lined over to her.

"Someone is having a good morning," said Ashley, eyes sparkling, "Tell me all about it." In a soft voice, so not to be overheard, Jeena told her friend all about Rasui.

"He seems like an interesting guy." Ashley remarked, "Do you really think he's going to sit with us at lunch?" "I think so," Jeena replied while taking a moment to put her hair up. "He's been sticking pretty close to me all morning. Probably views me as a potential friend or something like that." "Or maybe something else," Ashley said teasingly. Jeena rolled her eyes skeptically. "I just met the guy. There is no way that he could like me in that way." Ashely gave Jeena a gentle shove. "Oh come on! You know I'm a believer in love at first sight." Jeena replied back with a shove of her own. "And you know that I'd rather get to know someone first before I decide if I have any romantic feelings towards them." "You used to believe in it," Ashley softly reminded her." Jeena smiled ruefully. "Yeah. Used to, but I've gotten older and wiser." Ashley gave her an inquisitive look. "Yes, I thought I saw a few wrinkles and gray hair." "Hey!"

The two girls burst out laughing and the seriousness of the conversation dissipated away.

Afterwards, as she walked into her Government class, Jeena immediately noticed Rasui in his desk, looking a bit disheveled from gym class. "Wow, you found the room all by yourself," she commented in mock surprise. Rasui probably thought she was actually surprised because he frowned a little and said, "The school is not that complicated to figure out."

"Never mind," said Jeena, quickly taking the empty desk behind him. "Thanks for saving me a seat." "You are most welcome," he replied, giving her a small smile before facing front.

Since Jeena was sitting behind Rasui this time, this meant she could watch him without having to worry about being caught. Her eyes took in the slope of his shoulders, the straightness of his back, and the silky sheen of his black hair.

Once again she was filled with strange urges, this time they involved running her fingers through his hair and trailing them down his back. Giving her head a quick shake, Jeena cleared her thoughts so she could focus.

_"Oh boy, am I in for quite the year."_


	4. Chapter 3

Psychology was the last class before lunch, and it seemed to go on forever since Jeena had reach the point where she was getting really hungry. Finally, the bell rang and Jeena lead Rasui to the cafeteria. Fortunately, this classroom was right next to the cafeteria, resulting in them being among the first ones on the lunch line.

"So, what is there to eat," Rasui asked uncertainly, holding a lunch tray flat out in front of him. "There are always several different things to choose from," Jeena explained, casually inspecting the food laid out before her. "There are hot lunches along with salads, sandwiches, and soup." Rasui eyed the food as if he had never seen anything like it before.

"What do you usually eat?" Jeena gave a small shrug. "It depends on what I'm in the mood for. Today, I think I will have a chicken sandwich and a cup of that tomato soup."Pausing for a moment in consideration, Rasui finally said, "I will just have what you are having." He snatched up a sandwich and soup of his own before hurrying after Jeena who was paying.

She then headed over to the table near the middle of the cafeteria that she and her friends sat at all the time. Rasui followed her and took a seat next to her. She took a bite from her sandwich and had some of her soup, and then looked curiously over at Rasui who was eying his lunch with interest. "Is this really your very first time at high school?" she asked in disbelieving tone of voice.

"Yes," he answered, "My family does a lot of traveling so I was home-schooled most of the time." "What do your parents do?" "They are archaeologists. They travel to different countries and study ancient ruins. They are particularly interested in early civilizations." "That's really quite interesting," Jeena remarked. "It must be really hard to move around all the time."

Rasui just shrugged and lifted up his sandwich. "I am used to it, but for this year I wanted to stay in one place."

Before Jeena could ask more questions, Benny appeared balancing his lunch in one hand and a drink in the other. "Yeah, well, next time don't take five minutes to get a freakin' plate of pasta!" he shouted over his shoulder to whoever he cut in line. "Man, I hate getting stuck behind the slow people," he complained to Jeena who acknowledged him with a nod as she chewed another bite of sandwich.

Setting his food down, Benny noticed Rasui and a big smile spread across his face. "Gym buddy!" he shouted, throwing his arms around Rasui, nearly causing him to spill his soup. "I didn't know you were going to be sitting at my table!" "Neither did I," said Rasui muttered in a tone that clearly stated he was uncomfortable being hugged.

"We're in the same gym class together," Benny explained when he saw the confusion in Jeena's face. "He was my partner during the warm-up exercises. Hence, he is my gym buddy." "That's good to know," said Jeena, "Now let go of him so he can eat his lunch before you knock it all over the place."

Benny released Rasui who gave her a grateful smile. "Maybe I can hug you later," Benny said seductively with a wink. Rasui's eyes widened in shock and Jeena gave Benny a glare.

"Benny, you seriously make me wonder about you," said voice in a familiar dry tone. Eli came walking up to the table with Ashley next to him. Both were giving Benny thoughtful looks. Benny frowned, grumbled something about being straight, and bit into a chicken tender.

"Rasui, these are my friends Ashley and Eli," Jeena introduced. "Nice to meet you," said Ashley, glancing over at Jeena with a knowing look. Eli shook his hand and said, "I apologize in advance if Benny does anything to traumatize you." "Thank you, but I am sure I can handle it," said Rasui warmly.

_"Three down, one to go"_ Jeena thought to herself.

Right on cue, Jerry arrived amidst a chorus of greetings. "Who is the new guy?" he asked setting his eyes on Rasui. "Jerry, this is Rasui, a new student." said Jeena. "Awesome. Nice to meet you, Rasui," he said, "I'm Jerry, Jeena's brother." "Are you twins?" asked Rasui, looking back and forth between the two. "Yeah, I'm the older twin by two minutes," said Jerry informatively. Jeena rolled her eyes at the well-known fact, but gave an inward sigh of relief when she saw that Jerry was relaxed and not in a stand-offish attitude for once. "_Score."_

The focus of lunch was centered on Rasui and questions were asked from all directions.

"So, where do you come from, Rasui?" asked Jerry. "I was born in Egypt and lived there till I was six years old," Rasui replied. "Then my parents began their travels. The last place we just recently visited was Mexico."

"What were you doing in Mexico?" Ashley inquired. "Mother and Father wanted to study the pyramids built by the Mayan civilization." "I'm guessing your parents are archaeologists," Eli commented. "Cool! Have they found dinosaur bones?" Benny asked excitedly. "No, Benny," said Rasui with a laugh. "They study the remains of ancient civilizations, not dinosaurs."

"I knew that," Benny said with shifty eyes "I'm going to eat my Skittles now." He poured a few Skittles into his mouth as everyone else just shook their heads at him, amused smiles on their faces.

"Are your parents Egyptian?" asked Jeena." Yes. Both of my parents were born in Cairo, but my mother moved to Britain when she was twelve years old."

Jeena nodded and continued to listen to explained how he attended many different schools and sometimes would only attend for a couple of months. As a result, he had been mostly home-schooled. This year, however, he wanted to complete a full school year. He had talked his parents into allowing him to stay home while they traveled to Greece.

"Wait a minute!" Benny interrupted, "Are you telling me that you're home alone for a year with no parents? Dude, that is so awesome!" "It was a hard won fight, said Rasui wryly. "I argued that it would my senior year and my last chance to have an actual high school experience. I rattled off every argument that I could think of until they finally agreed just to keep the peace." "Incessant chatter usually works at wearing people down," Eli remarked while shooting Benny a small glare who looked back at him with a "Who me?" face.

"So, where do you live," Ashley asked. "I live on 110 Cedar Street, not too far from the school," Rasui replied, "I moved in around two weeks ago." "Oh, you're the one who moved into that house," said Jerry. "We drive past it on our way here." "Yeah, we live on 120 Cedar Street," Jeena chimed in, "You're ten houses away from us." "I am glad that there are actually people who I know in my new neighborhood," Rasui smiled brightly. "And you two are not so far away either."

Though she could have imagined it, Jeena thought he had his eyes on her when he spoke those last words.

* * *

><p>After lunch came History, Chemistry, and College Writing. Jeena had them with all her friends, Jerry, and Rasui. They sat near each other, and Jeena observed that Rasui was disappointed when he couldn't sit next to her in Chemistry due to Benny wanting him to be his "chemistry buddy." That was probably a good idea because Benny could have a short attention span and cause all sorts of mishaps.<p>

When school finally ended, they hung out at their favorite spot by the stone wall that rested in front of the building and chatted about their first day back.

"Oi, my annual Back to School/ End of Summer party is going to be this Saturday," said Benny, popping another handful of Skittles in his mouth. "Don't you usually have it a bit later into the month?" Jerry asked. "Yeah, but my mom wants to close the pool early this year. Something about avoiding an accumulation of leaves."

Benny swallowed his Skittles and turned to Rasui. "Would you like to come to my party? There'll be swimming, good music, and all sorts of fun stuff." "Thank you. I would like to very much," Rasui replied politely. After Benny gave him his address, Jerry offered to give him a ride. "I do not want to be a bother," Rasui began to say. "It's no problem," Jerry cut him off reassuringly, "Especially since you live close by to us,"

As this exchange was going on, Benny took a tripod out of his backpack, stood it up in a flat stretch of ground, and placed his camera upon it. "Okay, everyone, let's get ready for our first day of senior year group shot." "Oh god, not this again," Eli groaned. "Suck it up, now, we only do this once a year," Ashley said in a firm tone.

Rasui just looked at them in befuddlement. "It's this tradition that Benny set up," Jeena explained helpfully. "At the beginning of every school year, we take a group picture. Then, he makes us each a scrapbook with all the pictures he takes."

"People, into position," Benny shouted and starting arranging his friends. Eli grumbled audibly but stood next to Ashley after she gave him a stern look. Rasui started to take few steps back but Benny grabbed him and half-dragged him over to where the group was assembled. "Oh no, buddy, you are getting in on this." Rasui was then placed next to Jeena and she felt the light brush of his arm against her skin.

Benny set the timer and quickly flung himself between Eli and Jerry. "Now everyone smile big and pretty," he said. The camera's timer beeped and a bright flash went off. Benny rushed over to look at the picture. "Eli, you didn't smile!" he shouted indignantly. "Yes I did," Eli protested, "The corners of my mouth are up." "That's not a smile! That's a grimace!" "Well, I smiled and we're not taking another damn picture."

"Boys, knock it off or both of you are going to get smacked," said Ashley in a threatening tone and raising her hand a bit. Benny and Eli immediately stopped arguing, looking a little fearful, since no one wanted to be on the receiving end of Ashley's smacks.

Once all was calm again, everyone began to head towards their cars. Since he did not have a car, Rasui headed towards the sidewalk instead. "I look forward to seeing all of you again tomorrow," he said with a smile. "Same here," Jeena smiled back.

She watched him walk away for a moment before taking out her set of car keys and sliding into the driver's seat. "As far as first days go, that was a good one," Jerry quipped as he settled himself in. "I couldn't agree more," Jeena replied, adjusting the seat to accommodate her legs. She started the car, backed out, and drove off in the direction of home.

The car came upon Rasui walking on the sidewalk, head bent over a book. Jeena thought about honking the horn and getting his attention, but didn't want to startle the poor guy. Only when Rasui was long out of sight did Jeena have another thought.

_"Damn it! I forgot to ask him if he wanted a ride home!" _


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: If you ever notice any errors in spacing, spelling, or the like, it is due to the fact that I do most of this at night and I get sleepy. -gday  
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After dinner, Jeena wandered into her mom's room to tell her more about her day and Rasui. She purposely neglected to talk about him during dinner because, for some reason, she didn't really want to talk about him in front of stood beside an ironing board that had one of her shirts on it, and listened while Jeena talked.

"He seems to be a very pleasant young man," Clarice remarked, working on a stubborn wrinkle. "He is," Jeena agreed, "And I think we may already be friends. He sat by me in almost every class and during lunch time." "Well, that's good. Alone in a new school, he could use a friendly face or two."

"Ashely thinks it's because he has some sort of crush on me and that's why he was hanging out with me in the first place," Jeena mentioned casually. "Well, that could be a possibility," said Clarice, setting down the iron and carefully placing the shirt on a hanger. Jeena frowned a little at her mother's words.

"But we just met each other today," she said skeptically, "How could he already be feeling something towards me?" "Love is just one of those mysterious forces that works in ways that we can't always understand," Clarice answered pensively, "It can appear in the strangest of places or when we least expect it."

Jeena shook her head and gave a small laugh. "You almost sound like Ashley." Her mother gave her a daughter a long look before gently taking her hand. "Jeena, I know this is a sensitive topic for you, and I'm not telling you how to feel or what to do, but I just want to know…Do you want a boyfriend?"

Jeena bit her lip, unable to meet her mother's gaze. Finally, she gave a dejected sigh and said, "Yes, I do, but I'm scared. I don't want to get hurt again." Clarice walked around the ironing board and scooped Jeena up in a strong hug.

"I know, sweetheart. It can be painful sometimes, but you can't let it dictate you all the time. Sometimes, you have to fight it back and carry on, whether it is a relationship or another step in life." The loving tone of her mother's voice almost caused tears to well up in Jeena's eyes. She blinked a couple of times before speaking. "So what should I do?"

The corners of Clarice's eyes crinkled as she gave a maternal smile and planted a kiss on Jeena's forehead. "Listen to your heart. Ashley and I can say what we want, but in the end, it is entirely up to you."

Later that evening, Jeena mulled over her mother's advice as she got ready for bed. She hadn't thought for very long before Jerry came hurrying in and stood beside her while she brushed her hair.

"Why they have to give us homework on the very first day of school, I have no idea," he complained. "I mean, come on, we'll have the rest of the year for homework. Give a kid a break." "Yes, Jerry, you only ranted about this five times now," Jeena said impassively, easing the brush through a knot. Jerry grumbled and then took on a more casual tone.

"So I'm almost done with English and there is one small, little problem…." "And you what me to help," Jeena interrupted. "And you will since you love me so much." Jerry asked brightly. Jeena paused and pretended to consider. "Well, I don't if I should. It really wouldn't be so honest of me."

"Please, Jeena," her brother begged. "You've always been better at English than me, and I don't always know what's going on in the stuff they make us read. Please. Please. Pleeeeeease!" "Oh okay, now quit begging," Jeena laughed as got up to pull her own homework out of its folder. "Here, write it down but not word for word."

"Thanks, Jeena Star, you're the best sister ever," he said happily as he rapidly wrote. "I better or you'll be doing your homework by yourself from now on," Jeena said in a mock-threatening tone. "One of these days, I might actually stop helping you," "But you won't because you love your big brother," said Jerry, giving his sister a squeezing hug and pretending to pinch her cheek.

"Only by two minutes," she retorted back and she decided to bring up a topic that was floating through her mind. "So what do you think of our group's newest member?" "Who," Jerry asked blankly, "Rasui?" Jeena gave her brother a look that said "really."

He just gave a noncommittal shrug. "Ah, he seems like a nice guy and all, but I think he's a little on the strange side." "Why do you think he's strange," she asked, with an odd expression. "I don't know," he answered vaguely. "There's just something odd about him. I really can't explain it."

"Oh, he might just be shy," Jeena said dismissively. "He is new and probably has a hard time making friends, being home schooled and all." "True. True," Jerry agreed, "Well, I'm turning in. See you in the a.m." He left and Jeena put her paper away, and doing a quick check to make sure everything was in order.

Then, instead of going to bed, she walked over to her window. She opened it and carefully stepped onto the roof. It was slightly slanted but it was the perfect place to sit and think in peace. The leaves and branches of a tall maple tree stood between her and the road, shielding her from anyone passing by. A vine-covered trellis traveled down to the ground, leaning on one of the support posts.

Jeena slowly sat down and hugged her legs close to her chest. The nights were starting to cool as summer was nearing its end, but it was still pleasant and she felt comfortable in her light green tank top and with dark purple pajama shorts.

She gazed up at the stars hovering over her in the dark sky. Jeena loved stars. She thought they were beautiful and the vast expanse of them made her think that she was staring into the entire universe.

Jeena's thoughts picked up where they left off. Her mom's words drifted through her head. It was true that she wanted to have a boyfriend. Every time she saw a couple in the halls of school, or Eli and Ashley's more affectionate interactions, she felt envious and somewhat miserable.

Yes, she wanted what they had but, at the same time, it always felt so complicated. Jeena closed her eyes and rested her forehead on her knees.

"_Okay, Heart, I'm listening. Tell me what I should do." _

Several long minutes passed, but no ideas popped up and there were no sudden epiphanies. Instead, a creaking from the roof shingles and the rustling of leaves were the only noises to be heard. Jeena sighed and sat up straight. _"Guess I won't be getting any answers tonight." _

She shivered as a swift breeze blew past her. "_Time to get inside and head off to bed." _Jeena stood up, climbed back into her room and, after closing the window, made her way over to the bed. She crawled under the blanket and switched off the light.

After she was comfortable, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, completely unaware of the fact that she was not alone.

* * *

><p><em>He stood in the shadows of the bedroom, silent and motionless.<em>

_ A stream of moonlight splashed across the bed and he could clearly see the sleeping form of his Beloved stretched out on the bed. He watched as she turned in her sleep with a soft sigh. He crossed over to the bed, with an almost cat-like stealth. As he gazed down upon her face, his breath caught in his throat. She was an exact replica of the one he lost so long ago._

_ He remembered when he first laid eyes upon her. He had been exploring the nearby town and happened to pass a place that was called a café. The sound of laughter caught his attention, and when he had turned to investigate, she was sitting at a table with several others. _

_He stood there, hardly daring to believe that it was really her. When he saw her about to glance in his direction, he had slipped out of sight. He followed her when she left and, thus, was able to find the place where she resided. Since then, whenever he was not busy, he watched her as she went about her day. _

_Now, he stood over her as she slept just as he had done a couple times before._

_ Her face was gently bathed in moonlight and wore a perfect expression of peace. Her dark hair fanned out like silk against the pillow. He sat carefully on the edge of the bed and leaned closer to her. She sighed again and her perfectly sculpted lips parted slightly, as if beckoning for a kiss. _

_Lust stirred within him, and he wanted nothing more than to take her now and feel her body close to his. However, he stifled that particular desire, determined not to make the same mistake almost allowed himself to kiss her, but stopped before their lips could touch. He would have to be patient and wait for the right time. He satisfied himself by gently tracing his fingers along her face. _

_"Soon, my love," he whispered. "Soon, you will be mine."_


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: This chapter is a long one. Some will be like that if I don't feel like separating them. Also, I usually listen to music while I write, so sometimes they end up in the story. Or you might hear about what I am currently listening to. Also, if you like country music, I mean no offense .Hope you all enjoy -gday**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Green Day, Blue Oyster Cult, or Saving Private Ryan. **

* * *

><p>As the rest of the week went by, Rasui got to know more about Jeena and her group, and became fast friends with all of them.<p>

Jerry was cool with it despite his original statement, Ashley was excited because this would allow her to observe if her prediction of Rasui having feelings for Jeena were true, and Eli was his usual, stoic self. Benny especially liked him, and he took it upon himself to teach Rasui everything from jokes to must-see movies.

"I cannot believe that you've never seen _Saving Private Ryan_," said an outraged Benny during homeroom on Wednesday. "Do you live under a rock?" "I live in a house," Rasui replied a bit stiffly, "And I usually prefer to read." "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Benny," Eli interjected, "You do need to watch more movies and I will gladly help."

After a bit of persuasion, Rasui reluctantly agreed and a list was immediately compiled. Everyone had to admit that Rasui was a little odd with his formal manners and there were times when he didn't understand what they were talking about. He would have a look of utter confusion on his face, until someone provided an explanation.

Jeena had to admit that these quirks were kind of cute. Besides, she was confident that once he was more settled in, Rasui would relax and be just like the rest of them. She still couldn't figure out why she thought he seemed familiar to her. She searched her memory for a clue but came up with nothing. After thinking about it, she decided to shrug off the matter and focus on Benny's upcoming party.

* * *

><p>Saturday found Jeena and Jerry driving to Rasui's house to pick him up for the party, just as they promised. Jerry hummed along to "Holiday" by Green Day while Jeena drove the car, having dashed into the driver's seat when Jerry wasn't looking.<p>

It only took them a few minutes before the car pulled into Rasui's driveway. Jeena put the car in park and took a moment to adjust her sunglasses, and glanced down at her outfit.

She wore a pair of blue jean shorts and a gray t-shirt with a red rose on it. The loose shirt left one shoulder bare, exposing one of the blue straps of her bikini top. Her hair was piled up in a messy up-do and she wore no makeup.

"Alright, Jerry, go knock on the door," she ordered. "But it's hot out there, "he exclaimed, scandalized. "Yeah, so?" "So I don't want to leave our nice, air conditioned car," Jerry said in a matter of fact way.

"And I'm most certainly not getting out," replied Jeena flatly. "As soon as I do, you'll steal the driver's seat." "You took that seat unfairly," Jerry accused. "We didn't even do rock-paper-scissors!" "I took it fair and square," she retorted, "Now go get Rasui!" "Make me," said Jerry, sticking his tongue out childishly.

"Neither of you need to fetch me."

Brother and sister both jumped in their seats and whipped their heads towards Jerry's window. Rasui was standing there in a simple white t-shirt and black swimming shorts, his head cocked quizzically.

"Heh, hey Rasui," Jeena said with an embarrassed laugh, "How long have you been standing there?" "Long enough," he answered, one corner of his mouth tugged up in humor. "Yeah, sorry about that," Jerry said sheepishly, "Come sit in our nice, air conditioned car." Rasui complied and sat behind Jerry.

There was a sudden beeping noise and Jerry picked up his cell phone. "Huh, Benny must be getting slow in his old age," he stated jokingly. "Last year, we got his text before we even left our house." He silently read the text and then said aloud, "He wants to know where we are and to hurry up." Jeena tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, before shifting the car into reverse. "Tell him that we just got Rasui and we're on our way."

Jerry quickly texted the message to Benny as his sister drove the car out of the driveway and onto the road. "You don't mind if we have our radio on, Rasui?" asked Jerry. "Not at all, I enjoy listening to music," Rasui replied pleasantly. "However, I am not fond of country music."

"No country music will ever defile these speakers," said Jerry reassuringly. "However, I must warn you of one thing. If a good song comes on, Jeena and I will not hesitate to sing along." "Like right now," Jeena whooped, cranking up the volume a bit more. The twins then proceeded to bust out singing as the song, "Burnin' For You" by Blue Oyster Cult, filled the car. Jeena's contralto mixed with Jerry's tenor as they sang the refrain.

_"Burn out the day. Burn out the night. I don't see no reason to put up a fight. I'm living for giving the Devil his due. And I'm burnin', I'm burnin', I'm burnin' for you"_

When they finished, Jeena glanced up into the rear view mirror and saw Rasui's eyes looking back at her. "You have a lovely voice," he said, a statement obviously meant for her. "Aw, thank you," said Jerry with a grin, "You are so sweet." Jeena smothered a giggle as Rasui frowned at Jerry. Needless to say, he stayed quiet the rest of the ride.

Finally, they arrived at Benny's house, a large cream-and-brown ranch style house with a large porch and lush pine trees stood by it grandly like some sort of honor guard. Behind the house were several acres of forest that served as a playing ground for both family and friends.

Standing on the porch, wearing a swimsuit with outrageously bright fish scattered all over it, was Benny. He was practically hopping with excitement, and Jeena wondered if it would be safe to let him have any sugar today.

"I was waiting forever and ever," he practically shouted, as they exited the car. "Ashley and Eli are already here so now the party is all set." He grabbed Rasui by the arm and steered him towards the house. "You are going to have the best time ever, Rasui buddy," he gushed, "Heck; I even have a swimsuit covered with turtles if you want to wear those instead of these boring black ones."

"I am perfectly fine with what I am wearing," said Rasui, casting Jeena and Jerry a "help me" look. The twins just laughed at his obvious discomfort.

They followed their friends through the house, where they were greeted by Benny's parents, and out to the spacious patio. The huge in-ground pool sparkled in the sun like a blue jewel. Ashley and Eli were sitting at one of the two tables, a yellow umbrella shading them from the sun.

The second table was piled with various drinks, along with bowls of chips and pretzels to snack on. Benny's iPod speakers rested on a chair at a safe distance from the water and definitely out of the splash zone.

"Thank god, you finally got here," Eli sighed heavily, "The fool kept going on about how he was going to set up a posse to go after you." Said fool hurriedly turned on the iPod and rock music filled the air.

"Last one in is a rotten fish," Benny howled. He rushed towards the pool and, with a cry of _"Geronimo,"_ launched into the water. A small wave of water narrowly missed Ashley who was innocently taking off her sandals. "For heaven's sake," she huffed, "Go splash over there until the rest of us are actually ready to get wet."

Jerry pulled off his shirt and jumped in, followed closely by Eli. After removing her clothes and revealing her own leopard printed bikini, Ashley eased herself into the water and cried, "Hurry up and join me, Jeena!"

Jeena quickly removed her clothes; her own bikini was blue and sprinkled with white flowers. Sensing that she was being watched, she looked over her shoulder just in time to see Rasui quickly turn his head away. A faint blush was in his cheeks and Jeena couldn't resist a pleased smile. She strode over to the pool and slid into the cool water, sighing in pleasure.

"Come on in, Rasui, or you'll miss all the fun!" Jerry hollered. Rasui stood near the edge of the pool with a hesitant look in his eyes. He had removed his shirt and Jeena's eyes took in his smooth chest, flat stomach, and the curve of his calves. Now it was her turn to blush and she splashed some water on her face. Rasui entered the water slowly, barely making a ripple.

"Splash fight!" Benny shouted and he caught Eli in the face with a wave of water. Eli growled and retaliated by pushing him under the water.

A chaotic water war broke out, followed by a chicken fight that consisted of Jeena sitting on Jerry's shoulders while Ashley sat on Eli's. No one knew whose idea it was, but it ended with both teams toppling into the water at the same time. Then Benny tried to climb onto an unsuspecting Rasui, but he was immediately thrown off.

The chaos simmered down when Ashley suggested that they take turns jumping off the diving board. Everyone eagerly agreed and got into a line after some scuffling over who would go first. In the end, it was decided that Rasui would take the first jump, being the new guy and all, and they said it would be a nice act of initiation.

He appeared a bit nervous, but squared his shoulders back and cautiously made his way to the end of the board. After a moment of staring down into the water, he took a deep breath and jumped. He plunged to the bottom of the pool and came back up, spluttering slightly, amidst a chorus of cheers. He swam to the ladder, climbed out, and made his way over towards Jeena.

"That was a nice jump," she commented with impress. "That was my first time on a diving board," Rasui admitted, "I felt uneasy and almost considered not jumping." "It takes some getting used to, but you get the hang of it after a few turns," said Jeena encouragingly. "Besides, it was brave to go through with it, even if you did feel uncomfortable." "Thank you, Jeena," he said, giving her a small bow and this time she did giggle.

Everything was going along like normal until it was Jeena's fourth turn to jump.

She expertly got on the board and made her way towards the edge, no problem at all. As she looked down at the water to contemplate if she wanted to do a cannonball, she noticed that it was swirling and rippling in a way that reminded her of a river.

The thought was hardly in her head, when she was suddenly seized by a crushing feeling of fright and a vision flashed before her eyes.

_She was standing on the edge of a cliff, staring down at a raging river. Angry currents slammed and swirled against large boulders. The roar of the river made it appear alive like a vicious animal. Ice-cold fear gripped her heart and she turned to get away._ _The wind struck against her face and she thought she could hear it calling, "Janara! Janara! _"**Jeena**!"

At the sound of her name, the vision disappeared as quickly as it came, leaving her unsettled. Feeling slightly disoriented, Jeena decided that she really didn't want to jump anymore. Temporarily ignoring her friends' questions, she got off the diving board. "Jeena, what was that all about," Jerry demanded. "Yeah, you were just standing there, not moving at all," Benny chimed in. "Are you feeling okay, Jeena," asked Ashly, eyes full of concern.

Jeena hesitated; she did not want to tell them of the vision she had experienced and the inexplicable fear she felt. Acting quickly, she placed a hand her stomach. "I'm fine except for the fact that I am starving and would love to eat now."

Fortunately, right on cue, Benny's mom appeared holding a platter full of hamburgers and hot dogs. Jeena smiled hugely and, for the sake of her cover, hurried over.

She gave Rasui, who was standing a little distance's away, a passing glimpse. His face also held concern, but there was something else there too. An odd intentness that sent shivers down her spine.

Following her lead, everyone else headed towards the table that was now loaded with not only hamburgers and hotdogs, but also chicken wings, potato salad, and a veggie platter.

The odd incident was forgotten as they all sat around, relaxing and chatting animatedly.

Benny became hell-bent on getting Rasui to drink soda and eat more food. "Come on, man, you need to eat!" he urged, "You're as thin as a skeleton." "The last time I checked, I was at a normal weight," Rasui said dryly. "I am honestly not very hungry." "Leave the poor guy alone, Benny," said Ashley, "He's fine so quit trying to force him to eat."

"Alright, you win," Benny groused, "At least have some of this on your chicken." He picked up a bottle full of a dark red liquid and poured a generous amount on Rasui's plate. "What is this?" asked Rasui, eyeing the sauce tentatively. "Just something to make it taste better," Benny answered in what should have been an innocent tone. "Trust me, you'll love it."

Rasui gave him a distrusting look but sampled a piece of red covered chicken. He was in the middle of chewing when his eyes flew open with shock and his face became an interesting shade of rose. Gagging, he spit out the chicken into his napkin and chugged all his water. "Did you give me poison? My mouth is on fire!" he gasped.

Benny was laughing so hard that he was falling out of his chair. "It's not poison. It's extra spicy buffalo hot sauce," he finally managed to choke out. "Benny, if you don't behave, I'm throwing your camera into the pool," said Eli sternly. "Go ahead, my camera is waterproof," Benny crowed, lifting up said camera and checking out the picture that no one realized he had taken.

"Your face is absolutely priceless!" he began laughing again. If looks could kill, Benny would have dropped dead at the nasty glare that Rasui shot towards him. Jeena calmly reached into a nearby bag and pulled out a hamburger bun. She handed it to Rasui and said, "Here, eat this. It will help with the burning."

He took it gratefully and spent the rest of lunch alternating between bites of bread and sips of water. He flat out refused to eat anything else, especially if it came from Benny.

When they had all eaten as much as they could hold and were just lounging around the table, Benny rose ceremoniously from his chair.

"It is time," he announced dramatically, "for our epic game of water tag." He scurried to the other side of the patio and returned with a bin full of water guns. "Pick your weapon and we'll divide into teams."

As she selected her water gun, Ashley silently counted all of them. "For the first time ever, we are actually going to have even teams," "Awesome! I say we do boys versus girls," said Jerry with a mischievous glance at Eli. The right side of Eli's mouth flickered up and he said, "So it will be you, me, and Rasui against Jeena, Ashley, and Benny."

"Hey!" shouted Benny, catching on to the implied insult. "All in favor of boys against girls say _Aye_," said Jerry and there was a collective shout of "Aye." Benny grumbled something about being straight and masculine, but didn't voice anymore complaints.

Rasui looked interestedly at his water gun and asked "How do you play water tag?" "It's really simple," Eli explained. "You tag anyone on the opposite team with a squirt of water. If you hit them, they have to stay frozen until someone from their team unfreezes them, and vice versa." "You get free passage to the pool if you run out of water," Jerry added, "You also get free passage back into the woods." "Make sure you wear sandals. There's a lot of sticks, roots, and rocks lying around, not to mention thorn bushes," Benny warned.

Rasui nodded in understanding. "Is there anything I am not supposed to do?" "No squirting anyone directly in the face or head, and no hitting anyone in the place where the sun doesn't shine," said Eli, fixing an evil eye on Benny. "I told you a million times already that it was an accident and I'm sorry," said Benny defensively. "Yeah, well, it hurt like hell and I couldn't sit for an hour," Eli growled.

"What does that phrase mean?" Rasui asked Jeena. "Let's start the game," she said quickly.

Jeena, Ashley, and Benny waited in the yard while the boys' team went into the woods. After counting to one hundred, they entered the woods themselves. There, they split up and went in different directions.

Jeena made her way through the trees carefully, taking soft steps, water gun poised for squirting. She listened for the distinctive sound of footsteps and watched for any sudden movements. She was hoping to catch Rasui, because as a first time player, he was an easy target and she wanted the bragging rights.

Jeena heard the snap of a twig and deftly dodged behind a tree. A sparkling stream of water darted through the space where she had stood a moment before. Leaping out from behind the tree, Jeena aimed and fired a shot of water against Jerry's chest.

"Jeena, your own brother!" he cried in mock-disbelief. "You would have done the same to me," she retorted and ran off. She did not get very far when Eli burst out from behind another tree. Narrowly missing him, she ran as fast as she could go in the direction of a small clearing.

She entered the clearing and turned her head to see if she was being followed. Suddenly, a blast of cold water splashed across her stomach and she gave a small gasp of surprise. She saw Rasui standing in front of her with a triumphant smirk on his face.

"You are my first prisoner," he said proudly. "I am going to get you for this," Jeena said threateningly. Rasui gave an unworried laugh and disappeared into the woods.

Jeena waited impatiently until she finally saw Ashley heading towards her. "I managed to slip past Rasui earlier, but I have no idea where the other boys could be," she said breathlessly. "Unfreeze me and we'll go after them," Jeena whispered.

Ashley's hand was just about to touch Jeena when Eli materialized out of nowhere, and squirt Ashley on her back. "Eli, you freaking ninja!" she shouted, "Squirting your girlfriend while her back is turned!"

"All is fair in love and war," Eli drawled lazily before leaving the girls stuck in place.

Ashley frowned in thought and turned to Jeena. "I think they're using us as bait so they can lure Benny here and get him too." "That's actually a good idea," Jeena admitted, "And it's probably going to work too."

Five minutes later, Benny appeared, moving as if he was in an action movie. "Hello ladies, I'm here to rescue you," he said importantly when he finally got close to them. "Not if we have anything to say about it."Jerry and Eli stepped into the clearing, water guns aimed at Benny.

Realizing defeat, Benny raised his hands and dropped to his knees "Okay, I surrender. Your team wins." "Not yet, Rasui has some unfinished business with you," said Jerry. It was then that Jeena saw Rasui standing behind Benny with a large bucket of water. She marveled at his ability to move without being seen or heard.

Puzzled, Benny tilted his head back till he was looking up at Rasui. Smiling darkly, Rasui dumped all the water in the bucket on Benny. He coughed and spluttered amid gales of laughter from his friends. "What the hell?! You got water in my eyes, nose, and lungs!" said Benny as he staggered to his feet. "That is revenge for poisoning me," replied Rasui in a cool voice. "Buckets aren't even allowed," Benny said in indignation.

"We decided to make an exception," said Eli.

They all began a second game of water tag, with the boys staying in the yard and Jeena's team in the woods. Taking extra care not to be caught, Jeena plotted ways to get back at Rasui.

She normally was very hard to catch, and to be caught with her guard down in the beginning of the game was unheard of. Thus, it was an offense worthy of punishment.

She got an unexpected golden opportunity when she returned to the pool to refill her water gun. She was about to walk back into the woods when there was the sound of approaching footsteps. Quick as a flash, she hid behind the pool shed and peered around one corner.

Rasui appeared on the other side and made his way over to the pool. She liked the graceful, almost regal way he moved. Kneeling down to fill his water gun, Rasui was blissfully unaware that he was being watched. Jeena waited tensely until he had finished and stood back up. He had almost reached the other side of the shed when she sprang into action.

"Ambush!" she shouted, squirting him relentlessly. Surprised, Rasui dropped his water gun as he shielded his face with his hands. He flailed around until his hand grabbed the nozzle of Jeena's own gun. She tugged hard, trying to get it out of his grip.

Taking a step backwards, her foot landed on the forgotten water gun on the ground and slipped. Jeena gave a small shriek as she toppled backwards onto the ground. She landed with a dull thud and gasped as Rasui also fell, but on top of her.

"Are you alright? Did I hurt you?" he asked worriedly. "Just my pride," she answered and gave a rueful sigh, "I guess this is what happens when I try to conduct surprise ambushes." "I believe the rule is that I am allowed free passage back to the woods," Rasui reminded her, pushing himself up onto his hands and knees so that his weight was off of her body.

"Well, this was payback for catching me with my guard down earlier," Jeena answered defiantly, "I'm not sorry one bit!" Remembering the look of surprise on his face, she began to laugh and he joined her.

When she stopped, Jeena became painfully aware of her position. She was lying on the ground, wearing only a bikini, with Rasui hovering above her in just a swimsuit.

She couldn't speak or move; her heart pound against her chest and there was a sudden lack of air. Rasui seemed to have noticed it himself, and there was a strange shifting. His face remained neutral, but there was an intent, almost predatory, gleam in his eyes, and Jeena felt a strange pressure surround her heart.

In a moment, however, he rose to his feet and held his hand out to her. She took it and was lifted effortlessly to her feet, only to have her face several inches away from Rasui's. Her breath caught in her throat and she stood as if paralyzed. His hand reached up slowly towards her face. Jeena felt him touching her hair and swallowed hard.

"There was a leaf in your hair," he said, holding up a small brown leaf. Jeena could not respond properly so she stooped down to pick up the water guns as a way to compose herself. Straightening up, she took care not to glance in his direction "We better get back to the game." She walked away, and she could her Rasui following behind her.

Back in the woods, they each took a different route, much to her relief. She was only thankful that no one else had witnessed the embarrassing encounter.

After two more games of water tag, everyone returned to the pool for more swimming. Jeena and Ashley swam a little before settling themselves in lounge chairs for some tanning. Idly, they watched as the boys engaged themselves in a wrestling match.

Jeena's mind kept snagging on what occurred between her and Rasui. She gave an inward grimace when she thought about the awkwardness that was certainly going to take place between them now.

She also remembered the weird look in his eyes, and she felt a vague uneasiness.

Looking back on it, Jeena was not sure how she felt. Rasui was her friend and had never done anything to make her feel uncomfortable before. Maybe it was his first time being so close to a girl and he didn't know how to act. It was certainly a long time that Jeena had been so close to a boy, and certainly the first time in that way.

She was distracted by her musings as Rasui broke away from Benny, who was trying to push him underwater, and stood with his back to her. Jeena watched the small drops of water trickling over his skin, grateful for her dark sunglasses that hid her eyes.

"Earth to Jeena!" said Ashley, "I've been trying to get your attention for the past two minutes." "Sorry," said Jeena, "I was thinking about something." "Or someone," Ashley teased with a knowing glance at Rasui. "I have no idea what you're talking about," Jeena said loftily. Ashley raised an eyebrow, but did not continue the subject.

* * *

><p>The sun was beginning to set when the party ended and everyone headed home.<p>

Benny walked with Jerry, Jeena, and Rasui to the car. "This was the best party ever," he told them, satisfied. He turned to Rasui and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Sorry again for the hot sauce. Hug and make up?" "I suppose," said Rasui in a stiff tone, and he gave Benny a very loose hug.

Benny whispered something that made Rasui quickly let go of him and rush into the car. "What did you say to him?" Jerry asked with a tired sigh. "I told him that he felt very nice to hug. I think he took it the wrong way," Benny said lightly.

"First the hot sauce and now hitting on him," Jeena groaned. "It'll be a miracle if he stays for the whole year." Benny gave a gleeful laugh and hugged her good-bye.

The trio did not talk much during the ride home and mostly listened to the radio. Rasui insisted that he would just walk from Jeena and Jerry's house to save them from going out of their way. When they got home, Jerry paused long enough to say good-bye to Rasui before going into the house.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Jeena asked shyly, still keeping her eyes averted, "My mom won't mind." "I would like to, however, thanks to Benny, I have no appetite," Rasui said regretfully. "Maybe I will be able to eat again tomorrow."

"Benny can be out of control sometimes, but he's really a nice guy. You get used to him after a while," she answered, mustering the courage to look at his face. She was surprised to discover that he did not seem embarrassed nor was there the awkwardness she had been expecting. It was as if nothing had happened.

"I had a very nice time today," he said, "It was the most fun I have had in a long time." "I'm glad to hear that," Jeena smiled, "So, I'll see you on Monday." Rasui nodded then suddenly asked, "May I give you a hug good night?" "I thought you didn't like to be hugged," she said in amazement. "You are an exception," he said simply, holding out his arms.

Jeena stepped into them and the warmth of his embrace surrounded her. He had a clean, pleasant scent and she slowly breathed it in. She had a strong wish to just stay there for as long as possible, but too soon he let her go. She did noticed, though, that his hands lingered ever so slightly on her arms.

"I must go now. Good night," he said in a faintly reluctant tone. "Good night," said Jeena softly, and Rasui walked away into the night.

She waited until he was out of sight before going into her house and closing the door.


	7. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: There you go. The first 7 chapters are up and the rest will follow hopefully soon. -gday**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Nightmare Before Christmas (but I do have the dvd)**

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><p>As the days of September slipped into October, the fall season arrived in all its glory. The trees put on a dazzling display of red, orange, and yellow leaves, and a chill permeated the air. The days steadily grew shorter, and Benny was making plans for Halloween.<p>

"We should go trick-or-treating," he said during lunch. "We're eighteen and too old for trick-or-treating," said Eli flatly. "Damn it, Eli! Always bringing me down," said Benny in exasperation, crumpling a napkin and throwing it at his friend. "Come on, one last time. Please?"

Rasui looked up from the book he was reading and asked inquisitively, "What is trick-or-treating?" There was a loud collective gasp as everyone looked in him in astonishment. "I think I'm going to have a heart attack," said Benny faintly.

"It's a special Halloween tradition. You go out on Halloween night, dressed in a costume, and get free candy," Ashley explained. "Free? You do not have to pay?" "Nope, that's the best part of Halloween," Jerry smiled, "Although, it is fun to wear a costume too."

"Why would anyone want to ask for free candy from strangers, wearing a costume?" asked a skeptical Rasui. "Because it's a tradition and lots of fun," Benny replied with a huge grin. "Now we have to go trick-or-treating since Rasui has never done it before, and we don't want to deprive him."

Eli sighed in defeat. "Fine, we can go trick-or-treating." "Huzzah!" cheered Benny and he turned to Rasui again. "Have you seen the _Nightmare Before Christmas_? It's one of my favorite Halloween/Christmas movies." "No, unfortunately, I have not," Rasui answered bracingly.

Benny responded by promptly falling to the floor in stunned disbelief. "Looks like you can add another movie to the list," Jerry commented, peering down at his fallen friend.

Jeena silently listened to the exchange, allowing it to give her mood a much needed lift.

Her morning had not gone very well, and Algebra was the reason. They were going over the more complex topics now, and this marked the beginning of her usual struggle.

Last week, the teacher had assigned their first exam and Jeena had studied hard, hoping to at least receive a passing grade. However, when she had gotten it back today, all she could see was bright red "50" glaring back at her.

Her heart sank and she had to fight back tears of disappointment. Next to her, Rasui had received a "100" and that made her feel even worse. She had hastily put her test away, not wanting anyone to see her abysmal grade.

However, once class was over, Rasui had looked at her with sympathy and said, "You did not do well on the test, did you?" "I don't want to talk about it," Jeena said a bit shortly. "I apologize if I offended you," he answered consolingly, "I saw that you were upset and I knew that the test must have been the reason. I did not realize that Algebra is troublesome for you"

Jeena thought about staying quiet, but before she knew it, the words were pouring out. "It's the same thing every year. I always start off thinking that everything is going to be alright, and I do understand some things that we go over in class. But once it gets into the hard stuff, I can't keep up with it and fall behind. I do end up passing the class, but barely and only with someone helping me out. No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to break the cycle."She gave a depressed sigh. "I hate it because it makes me feel stupid, and really I'm not. Sometimes, I wonder why I even bother in the first place."

Rasui had listened, not saying anything, and looked full of thought. It wasn't until they were taking their places at their next class, did he finally say something.

"I have a proposition," he began and Jeena gestured for him to continue. "How about I become your tutor and help you get through the class? You can come over to my house in the afternoons, and I can help you with homework and studying for tests and quizzes. I am sure that by the time the year is over, you will be able to pass with little difficulty."

Jeena was astonished by the offer, so much that she did not know what to say. Rasui noticed this and said, "I am good at math, and I hate to see you struggle. I would truly like to help." "It wouldn't be a problem for you at all?" she inquired, able to speak now, "I don't want to be a bother." "There is only myself at home with hardly anything to occupy my time," Rasui replied with a light chuckle. "Believe me, I would like the company."

"In that case, yes, I would like you to be my math tutor," said Jeena joyfully "Can we start after school?" "Of course we can," he replied, and Jeena felt much better.

* * *

><p>When school let out, Jeena informed Jerry that she wasn't going home with him. "I'm going over to Rasui's house. He offered to tutor me in math," she explained. Jerry looked slightly uncomfortable but he only said, "Okay, I'll let mom know. See you later, Jeena Star." He drove away while Jeena and Rasui walked to his house.<p>

It was a lovely fall day and she inhaled deeply, smelling a hint of smoke mixed into the air. "Why does Jerry call you Jeena Star?" Rasui asked, "Is Star your middle name?" "No, it's a nickname," she answered, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "He calls me that because I love stars so much."

"Oh, and why is that," he asked with interest. "Well, for one, I think they're beautiful. The way they shine in the night sky reminds me of diamonds," she said pensively. "I also like how it seems that the whole universe is spread before me and there are no limits. Then there is the way they make me feel. Whenever I look into the stars, I feel that everything is possible."

"You sound as if you would love to live among the stars someday," Rasui noted. "It sounds silly, but I actually do feel that I belong up there," Jeena admitted a little shyly. "Sometimes, I wish that there was a way for me to live surrounded by stars." "Perhaps there is a way," he said with an enigmatic smile.

The walk went by so quickly that Jeena was mildly astonished when they arrived at Rasui's house. She felt sorry that it had to end so soon, because even though Rasui was tutoring her, she was still not overly fond of the idea if doing anything math related.

He unlocked the door and said, "Welcome to my home. Please make yourself comfortable." The inside of the house was organized with not one thing out of place. There was a spacious living room with a navy blue couch and matching armchair. To her left was an equally spacious kitchen. Down the hall, a staircase led to the second floor. She couldn't help but notice that there were no photos or other personalized items to be seen.

Rasui led her into his kitchen towards a medium sized oak table. "May I get you anything to drink or to eat?" he asked politely. "No, thank you, I'm fine," she answered, touched by his formal gesture. She took out all of her math supplies and mentally prepared herself.

As it turned out, Rasui was a wonderful tutor. He had a way of explaining the lesson so that it was easy to understand. He was also patient and had no problem explaining something over and over again. He had Jeena do each problem one at a time, and checked it when she was finished. He taught her how to get the answer on her own and routinely offered encouragement. By the time they were done, Jeena was glowing and that was a rare thing.

"I can't believe it. I understand it all!" she said delightedly, "This is the first time in weeks that I got my homework done completely right." She then looked at Rasui gratefully. "Thank you so much for this. I couldn't have understood it without you helping me." "You are quite intelligent," Rasui said praisingly, "And once you understand what you need to do, you can solve anything."

Jeena glanced down coyly at the compliment and brushed her hand over her hair. When she looked back up, he had a reflective expression on his face. "My apologies," he said, "The way you move your hand over your hair, it reminded me of someone I knew." "Oh, yeah, I kind of do that every now and then," she replied offhandedly, "Some sort of habit, I guess."

Rasui opened his mouth to say something else, but winced and put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay," asked Jeena with concern. "Somebody tripped me in my gym class today and I landed on my shoulder. I believe it is still sore," he answered gingerly.

"Here, let me help you." Jeena got up and went to stand behind Rasui. In a firm but gentle way, she began to massage his shoulder. Rasui stiffened as she pressed down on the sore area, but gradually relaxed. "That feels so good," he said with a pleasurable sigh. "I usually have to do this with Jerry," said Jeena, moving her fingers in a circular motion. "He occasionally hurts himself or does something to strain his muscles."

She pushed Rasui's hair out of the way and noticed a thin, rather long, diagonal scar on the back of his neck. It looked like he had it for quite some time. "How did you get this scar on your neck?" she asked curiously. "I was standing too close to my father while he was digging. He turned around and his shovel hit me," Rasui explained, eyes closed. "That must have really hurt," Jeena remarked. "I did not even feel it happen. I hardly notice it anymore, not that I can see it in the first place."

Jeena ran her finger lightly over the surprisingly smooth surface of the scar and asked, "Do you get lonely living here by yourself?" "Most of the time I am bored but, yes, I am sometimes lonely," Rasui replied softly. Jeena finished the massage quietly, and then she packed up her things.

Bidding Rasui good bye, she walked out the door, feeling a bit guilty for leaving him alone.

* * *

><p>Much later, while getting ready for bed, Jeena once again thought about Rasui. It felt like she was thinking about him a lot these days.<p>

She did not really like the idea of him sitting in his house with only himself and no one else to keep him company. Sure, he said it was fine, but she could tell that he was happier when he was with his friends. She had a sneaking suspicion that this was his first time actually having friends.

It made her feel better about her decision to get to know him and integrate him into her own friend circle. At the same time, she enjoyed the times when it was just the two of them. During those times, she talked more freely with him, and he also seemed to be more open with her.

Even when they were not speaking, the silence was always comfortable. Maybe that's what it would be like if they were to go on a date.

_Whoa! Where did __**that **__come from?_

Placing down her brush, Jeena peered into the mirror, considering this sudden new thought. Although, she really wasn't too surprised by it. The more she had gotten to know Rasui, the more she desired to go out with him.

_"And why shouldn't I? He's good looking, smart, and even funny when he wants to be. He's truly a nice guy." _

Briefly, she contemplated what Jerry would say if he could read her mind. _"I know what he'll say, but maybe I won't have anything to worry about. Jerry actually likes Rasui, and they get along well with each other. _

She stood, stretched her arms over her head, and made her way over to the bed. _"What if Rasui doesn't want to go out with me or doesn't return my feelings?" _Jeena laid under the covers and stared up at the ceiling.

Finally, she made up her mind, "_I want know unless I try. I've dealt with pain before, I guess I can handle a little bit of rejection. And really, the worse that can happen is that we feel a little awkward and then go back to normal."_

She turned onto her side, flicked off the bedside lamp, and snuggled against the mattress. _"I'll ask him at the earliest opportunity."_ Satisfied by this thought, Jeena closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off to blissful slumber.

* * *

><p><em>She was running through the desert. <em>

_Hot sand struck her legs and the wind scorched her face. The sun blazed relentlessly in a harsh blue sky. _

_Her breath came in ragged gasps and there was a fire in her chest. _

_She could not stop. _

_She had to keep running, had to get away. _

_Fear and adrenaline coursed through her veins as she forced herself to run faster. She could her them behind her in hot pursuit. _

_A jagged cliff loomed close ahead. Maybe she could lose them among the rocks. _

_She was climbing. _

_Sharp stones were cutting into her hands and the heat almost burned her skin. She scrambled to find her footing, nearly slipping several times._

_ She could hear her pursuers in the distance and felt a rush of hope. Perhaps she was going to escape. _

_She finally reached the top and continued running. Suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks. _

_She was standing on the edge of a cliff, staring down at a raging river. Angry currents slammed and swirled against large boulders. _

_The roar of the river made it appear alive like a vicious animal. Ice-cold fear gripped her heart and she turned to get away. _

_She was falling, falling. _

_Agonizing pain seared into her heart and her vision blurred. _

_She could dimly hear the river's triumphant roar and her body hit the water._

* * *

><p>Jeena woke with a start, a scream stuck in her throat. Her body trembled while her heart beat fiercely. She felt cold all over and she was panting hard. The dream had been so terrifyingly real. She could still hear the roar of the river, could almost feel the pain and raced through her mind.<p>

_"Why did I have that dream?" "Who was I running from?" "Was that girl me or someone else?" "What does it mean?"_

She took a deep breath to try and slow down her heart rate. A quick glance at the clock told her it was almost two in the morning. Still feeling anxious, Jeena rose out of bed and padded softly to the window.

She looked out at the stars hovering in the sky, and let them soothe her just as they had done many times before. She admired how beautifully they surrounded the overhanging crescent moon. Then, out of the corner of her eye, a dark shape moved and she pulled her gaze away to look down.

All she could see were some leaves fluttering along the ground, and the branches of the tree swaying in the breeze. She looked long and hard before finally going back to bed.

Maybe it was exhaustion or the lingering effects of the dream, but Jeena could have sworn that she saw someone standing under her window.


	8. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: After some thinking and rewriting (actually, lots of thinking and rewriting), I finally got this chapter up. I like to think there is a sort of irony going on where we know what is happening, but the characters do not. Now, I decided the song that they are dancing to later in the chapter is "You Make Me Feel" by Cobra Starship, mainly because that's what I was listening to at the time. Also, I really did have a Skittle War when I was in high school. I won :) -gday**

* * *

><p>The next day, Jeena was distracted and unable to properly focus. She kept trying to dispel any thoughts of the dream, but they clung on stubbornly like weeds.<p>

During lunchtime, she hardly registered what she was putting into her mouth nor did she take much notice on what her friends were doing. In her mind's eye, the dream replayed itself and she struggled to make sense of it.

In her ceaseless wondering, Jeena did not hear Ashley trying to get her attention and was startled by a hand gripping her shoulder. "Are you feeling alright, Jeena?" Ashley asked in apprehension. "You're not acting like yourself at all."

As much as Jeena wanted to talk about her dream, she also didn't want anyone to start worrying about her. She had enough of that during her freshman year.

"I woke up at some point during the middle of the night to use the bathroom, and then it took me some time to fall back asleep," she said convincingly. "I guess the lack of proper sleep is making me feel a bit out of it."

"I know how that feels," said Eli, giving a grand yawn. Ashley tossed him a disapproving look. "You like to pull random all-nighters. You do not have my pity." "I am a night owl; it's in my nature," Eli replied insolently.

Ashley muttered something unintelligible and then said to Jeena, "Anyway, I was trying to say to you that I'm excited for the Back To School dance "Oh, that's right! I almost forgot about it," said Jeena, eyes lighting up. "It's going to be fun," said an exuberant Benny, "And guess who is also coming tonight." He gestured over to Rasui who was currently checking over Benny's write up for their Chemistry lab.

"Really, I thought you were going to stay home," Jeena asked Rasui in confusion. "He changed his mind," Benny replied a little too casually. "Correction: you forced me to change my mind," said Rasui mildly, not looking up.

"Oh boy, how did he manage to do that?" asked Jerry, leaning forward eagerly "He cornered me during our study hall and kept badgering me," Rasui explained, scribbling something down. "He said I could either come to the dance willingly, or he was going to come to my house and abduct me." Rasui's eyes flicked up in Benny's direction and he gave a teasing smirk. "Although, I believe he said he would also do disturbing things to my body while I slept."

"I didn't say that, you liar!" Benny cried out, throwing a Skittle at him which missed. "That does sound like something you would say and do," Eli pointed out. Benny scowled lightly and threw a Skittle at Eli who dodged it. "You think I'm just going to let him stay home and do homework on a Friday night? I don't think so!" "For your information," Rasui interjected, "I do my homework on Saturday."

Benny threw another Skittle at Rasui, this time it landed on his head. Rasui retaliated by throwing it back. Benny threw up his hand and somehow flung it towards Jerry. Instantly, a small Skittle war broke out among the boys, while Ashley and Jeena compared notes on what they were planning to wear to the dance.

For the first time all day, Jeena was able to completely push her odd dream to the very back of her mind and look forward to the dance.

* * *

><p>Night had fallen when Jerry and Jeena returned to their school. They had stopped home long enough to have dinner and prepare themselves for the dance. The school auditorium was packed with students. Loud music emitted from the DJ stand, and balloons and streamers were everywhere. Multi-colored lights flashed and patchily illuminated the crowd.<p>

Jeena took a moment in the brightly lit hallway to straighten out her clothes. She was wearing black jeans and a metallic gold blouse. Her hair was tousled so that is was curly, and she had spritzed on rose scented perfume. Smokey eye make-up and sparkling lip-gloss completed her ensemble.

She had taken extra care to look nice, especially since Rasui was supposed to be coming.

Scanning the crowd, Jerry spotted their friends and led his sister over to them. "Jeena, you look so pretty!" Ashley exclaimed. She was wearing blue jeans with a black lacy blouse and silver pendants around her neck. Her hair was wavy and green eye shadow brought out her eyes.

"Both of you girls are simply ravishing," said Benny putting an arm around each of them. "I feel like Hugh Hefner." "So you're a pervy old man?" asked Jerry with a straight face. "This is going to be a great dance," Benny continued, ignoring Jerry, "And Eli is going to dance tonight." Eli, who was wearing all black, crossed his arms over his chest and glared.

"Is Rasui here yet?" asked Jeena. "No, not yet," Benny replied, "I did text him, but he only said that he will get here when he gets here. All I know is that if he's not here soon, I'm going after him." "Give the guy some time, Benny," said Jerry, "He does have to walk since he doesn't have a car. We didn't even think to offer him a ride because he originally wasn't going to come in the first place."

"Yeah, I'm sure he's on his way," Jeena chimed in, "Let's dance while we're waiting."

They all floated out to the dance floor, except Eli who remained steadfastly by the wall. Ashley shouted something about the school hiring a good DJ for once, and Jeena had to agree with her. She moved in time to the music, feeling energetic, and occasionally glanced around for any signs of Rasui.

She was dancing with Ashley when there was a tap on her shoulder, and she turned to discover him standing behind her. Rasui was dressed in a crimson t-shirt, a color that complemented his skin tone, and black jeans. Both girls greeted him with quick hugs.

"I had to fight my way through the crowd to reach you," he said, his eyes sweeping over Jeena's outfit. "I did not realize that there would be so many people." "Let's not forget that this is your first school dance," Ashley pointed out. "So this should be quite the experience," Jeena laughed," "You better let Benny know you're here or he might do something crazy."

Right on cue, Benny catapulted out of the crowd. "I was just getting ready to go after you!" he hollered. "I thought you weren't going to show up!" "If I wanted to wake up one night to find you in my room, I would have stayed home," Rasui answered with a charmed smile.

"Well, now you can be my dance buddy." Benny tried to grab him, but Jeena knocked his arm down. "I believe I shall keep Eli company. It looks like he may like someone to talk with him," Rasui observed. He walked away, giving Jeena a secret smile of thanks.

"Jeena, I was going to get him to dance!" Benny whined. "I don't want him to be like Eli.""He just got here and he might not be ready to dance," she answered, beginning to dance again. "Just give him some time."

Everyone agreed that the dance was a lot of fun, and they were having a blast on the dance floor, with the exception of Rasui and Eli.

Jeena danced mostly with Ashley, but she also danced with Benny and once with Jerry. Her brother was flitting around but he would come over to her every now and then, mainly when there was a boy hovering a little too close to her.

Ashley and Jeena finally reached a point where they wanted a break, and made their way over to where Eli and Rasui were leaning against the wall. The two of them had their heads close together in an attempt to have a proper conversation.

"What are you two talking about so intensely," Ashley asked flirtatiously, wrapping her arms around Eli's waist. He looked solemnly down at her and said, "Stonehenge." "I was telling him about my parents studying Stonehenge at one point," Rasui filled them in. "Were they determining whether or not it was built by aliens," Jeena teased.

It was not her cleverest remark but it succeeded in making Rasui smile, although his eyes briefly took on a mysterious look.

"Well, I think it's time for a certain someone to get his ass onto the dance floor," Ashley said, looking at Eli pointedly. He narrowed his eyes and replied, "You're going to have to make me." "How do you suggest I do that," Ashley purred, pressing herself close against him. Eli smirked and bent his head down to kiss her.

"We may want to leave them here," Jeena remarked and she took Rasui's hand to lead him away. He glanced back over his shoulder and asked incredulously, "Those two are together in that way?" "Hard to believe, right?" Jeena paused now that they were a safe distance apart from the couple. "We still don't know how it happened or when it happened in the first place."

Rasui pondered this new information. "I would not have known. I have never even seen them kiss before." They don't really do public displays of affection," Jeena said informatively, "But, they will make out during school dances, especially when Eli refuses to dance with Ashley."

Rasui did not seem to know what to make of this so he only said, "Your friends are strange." "You're really just noticing that," Jeena asked laughing, and he laughed along with her. A strand of his hair managed to escape from its tie, and Jeena impulsively smoothed it back.

The boldness of this small action both thrilled and shocked her, and she waited anxiously for his reaction. His face remained blank at first, but then the corners of his eyes crinkled in merriment and he said teasingly, "Now you are extending your habit over to my hair." Jeena relaxed, smiling brightly, and grateful that he took it well.

It was at this time that she turned her attention back to the music.

"Oh, I like this song," she exclaimed, "Come on!" She grabbed Rasui's hand and pulled him onto the dance floor. "I do not know how to dance," he confessed, looking around at the other dancers. "You don't have to do anything fancy, just move your body," Jeena twirled as the music played around her.

Rasui began to move in a stiff, awkward way that made him appear almost robotic. "Loosen up! You're as stiff as a board!" she giggled. "I do not think I am doing this right," he replied sheepishly. "All you need to do is just relax and enjoy yourself. Don't worry about anything else" Jeena started shaking her hips as the song went into its refrain.

Rasui took a deep breath as if he was letting go of any inhibition. Then, he began to dance more smoothly.

"Oh yeah! Rasui is on the dance floor!" Benny whooped, and he began to jump around them like a human jumping bean. "I'm getting in on this!" shouted Jerry, taking his sister's hand and spinning her around. Jeena gave a delighted laugh.

As the song played on, Rasui became more relaxed and was soon dancing just as wild as everyone else. It was refreshing to see him act so carefree and informal, and by the time the song had finished, he had a large smile on his face. "I like dancing," he said decidedly and, afterwards, he remained on the dance floor. Jeena danced beside him along with Jerry and Benny. Ashley returned to the dance floor looking a bit ruffled, and Eli remained at his post by the wall.

All the dancing made Jeena thirsty so she broke away to get herself a cup of punch from the refreshment table. She drank quickly, not wanting to miss any of the fun.

However, when she had thrown her cup away and turned to face the crowd, there were four girls in the spot that she had vacated. Jeena was able to see Benny and Jerry, and even though she could hardly see him, Rasui was also there.

The girls were dressed more provocatively, and judging by their body language, they were clearly flirting with the boys. She watched as one of them placed her hand on Rasui's shoulder and leaned in to whisper something in his ear.

Feeling a strong rush of jealousy, Jeena decided to make a visit to the bathroom and hurried out of the auditorium. The girls' bathroom was mercifully empty; everyone else was out on the dance floor having fun. Everyone except Jeena who was feeling dejected in a way that she haven't felt in a long time. She gave a heavy sigh and, holding onto a nearby sink, bowed her head.

_"This sucks. I know that I haven't asked him out or anything, but that doesn't mean that every girl in the whole school should start throwing themselves at him."_

She heard the door open and close, and then the sound of footsteps. "Jeena?" It was Ashley standing there, and Jeena was relieved that it was only her. Ashley looked at her quizzically, chewing a little on her lip, but didn't say anything. Jeena remained bowed over the sink.

It went on like this for a minute before Jeena straightened up, and began to compulsively check her hair and makeup. "Sorry, I just needed a moment," she said, avoiding her friend's eye. "But what happened," Ashley inquired, "You went to get a drink and then you didn't come back. I saw you slip out and figured you came here, but I didn't expect to see you like this."

Jeena gave a scoffing laugh. "I am acting so stupid right now, and I can't help it." She shook her head derisively at herself. Ashley waited patiently; she knew it took her friend some time to say what was wrong.

Finally, Jeena said, "I saw a group of girls around Rasui, and one of them was flirting with him. I couldn't stand the sight of it, and I had to get away." "Oh, Jeena," said Ashley, moving in to give her friend a tight hug. When she let go, she asked, "Why did it bother you so much?"

"I don't know," Jeena answered gloomily. "I guess that when it comes to guys, I just feel inadequate. I have no idea what I'm supposed to say or how I'm supposed to act, and, meanwhile, all the other girls get any guy they want without even trying."

"Jeena, you are a wonderful person that any guy would love to have," said Ashley stoutly, "And if they choose someone other girl over you, than it's their lost. Besides, the best thing you can do is be yourself"

She paused and then asked, "Do you like Rasui?" "I started off liking him only as a friend," Jeena admitted, "But now I like him so much more." It was a mark of their friendship that Ashley did not gloat or say "I told you so."

"To be honest, Jeena, I don't think you have anything to worry about," Ashley said with a knowing smile. "Really," Jeena blinked in surprise. "Really, "Ashley confirmed, "I've been keeping my eyes open, and not once have I seen him check out any other girl. And even though there are a ton of girls out on that dance floor, the only one he's danced with is you."

These words had a cheering effect on Jeena, and gave her a small boost of self-confidence. "Thanks, Ash, I really needed to hear that," she said in gratitude.

"No problem," Ashley smiled, "Now, let's get back out there and dance our hearts out."

The two girls made their way back into the auditorium. Ashley squeezed Jeena's hand and then went off to find Eli, saying that she was going to make another attempt to get him to dance. For a moment, Jeena stood unsurely by herself and then began to wander aimlessly.

She didn't go very far when someone's hand grabbed hers. She turned and discovered that it was Rasui. "Where did you go," he asked, "I was looking all over for you." "I'm sorry. I had to make a quick bathroom break," Jeena answered back, deciding to stick to the truth a bit. "Where are Benny and Jerry?"

"They went off to dance with some girls I did not know, and Ashley also disappeared so I was alone." "Oh, why didn't you go with the other boys," Jeena asked, being a little nosy. "Because I did not want to dance with those girls, I wanted to dance with you," Rasui answered matter-of-factly, "Is that alright?" "Yes, it most definitely is," Jeena said with a huge smile.

Rasui led her out onto the dance floor and they proceeded to dance together. Jeena felt her confidence come back in full and couldn't stop smiling even if she wanted to. She did notice that Rasui was careful to not get too close to her, although she wouldn't have minded if he did. He did take her hand and spun her around just as Jerry did earlier. However, he did it a little more enthusiastically and Jeena nearly tripped.

Luckily, Rasui was quick and caught her just in time. "I am sorry. I guess I do not know my own strength." "It's all fine, trust me," said Jeena vivaciously and she brushed her hair out of her face. "Man, you went from no dancing to dancing up a storm," she observed. "I have been deprived all my life," Rasui declared. "Tonight I can…What is the phrase...Go crazy."

The next song was a slow one, and they were soon surrounded by gently swaying couples. Before she could ask, Rasui placed his hands on Jeena's waist and she placed hers on his shoulders. After all the fast paced music and equally fast paced dancing, it felt nice to slow down.

"How is your first year of high school going so far?" inquired Jeena. "It is different from what I expected it to be," Rasui answered. "What did you think it would be like?" He thought for a moment before replying. "I did not think I would make friends so quickly nor did I think I would fit in. I thought I might be treated as an outcast."

"Anyone who treats you that way is out of their mind," Jeena said frankly. "You are an interesting guy and I'm glad to have you has my friend." Rasui gave her a special smile and said, "You are the first real friend I ever had." Jeena basked in the warmth of his words and her heart started to speed up.

Then she remembered her plan to ask him out at the earliest opportunity, and figured now was as good as any.

"Rasui, I was wondering…" she began nervously. Rasui nodded for her to go on, and Jeena faltered with her words. "I was wondering if you would… I mean… if you might like to…" she trailed off, unable to continue speaking. Rasui was watching her expectedly and she knew she had to say something.

Blessedly, a distraction in the form of Benny and Jerry came waltzing up to them. "You have to see this," said Jerry, jerking his thumb behind him. Jeena looked over and couldn't believe her eyes. Eli and Ashley were holding each other and dancing slowly to the music.

Benny quickly snapped a picture with his camera. "I never thought I would see the day when Eli actually danced," he said in awe. "I wonder how Ashley got him to dance in the first place," Jerry added and then shuddered lightly. "Scratch that, I don't think I want to know." He and Benny went off to harass the couple, leaving Jeena and Rasui alone again.

"What is it you were going to say?" Rasui asked. Jeena just shook her head. "Never mind, it was nothing."

* * *

><p>The dance came to an end at midnight, and Jeena and Jerry gave Rasui a ride home due to it being so late. "I will sleep well tonight," he said sleepily. "I'm just happy tomorrow is Saturday so we can sleep in," said a tired Jerry, who was stuck being the chauffeur. Jeena dozed lightly in the front seat, but woke up to say good-bye to Rasui when they dropped him off.<p>

Back at home, she thought about her failed attempt to ask Rasui out. It had been a good moment, but she had panicked. Thoughts of her past dating experience tried to sneak in, but she firmly squashed them.

Instead, she thought over the information that Ashley had given her in the bathroom. Now that it was brought to her attention, she was able to look back on Rasui's past behavior.

He really hadn't expressed an interest in any of the other girls or paid them much attention. He would speak to them in a polite but imperious manner, and then brush them away when he was finished.

One time, she had watched as he flat out ignored a girl who had tried to continue talking to him. Only after the girl had stormed away did Jeena question him about it. His only explanation was that he didn't like the sound of her voice.

While she did not know what to make of this strange coldness, it was rather encouraging.

Looking a little deeper, Jeena remembered plenty of times when he would casually touch her and let his hand linger on the spot. Not to mention the couple of times when she caught his eyes gazing in her direction.

These were favorable signs, but, still, Jeena's biggest worry was that he wouldn't feel the same way, and this in turn would affect their friendship. That very likely would have hurt more than a simple rejection, because she would hate to lose him as a friend.

She gave a tired sigh of frustration. "_Why do these things always have to be so difficult? Would it hurt to make it easy?"_ A huge yawn almost split her head in two and dispelled any further thoughts. Jeena fell into her bed and was asleep almost immediately.

Tonight, she would not be bothered by any more weird dreams.

* * *

><p><em>He stood over his Beloved and yearned to join her in sleep. However, he had to force himself not to disturb her. <em>

_Tonight, he had seen a side of her that he had never before witnessed. Her liveliness, her straight-forward manner, and her acceptance all intrigued him. How could this have possibly eluded him? _

_The answer was simple, really. He had never been able to get so close before. _

_Now, he was finding that his Beloved was similar and yet so different. He was able to sense the effect that he had on her emotions, and it gave him a sense of power to see how much influence he had over her. _

_After all, she had displayed signs of jealousy when he had been unwillingly surrounded by a gaggle of foolish girls. That had truly tested his patience. Once he had her close again, he was able to see what she was trying to conceal from him. She thought she was being subtle, but he could see the truth written in her lovely gold eyes. _

_He gazed down at her and stroked her hair. His Beloved stirred gently and, for a moment, smiled in her sleep. Unfortunately, she had not been able to make the first step; she had lost her courage halfway through. _

_He knew it would have to be up to him now._


	9. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: It amazes me how many times I rewrite even for a short chapter. My mind likes to keep going sometimes, a pain when I'm trying to sleep. I must say my thesaurus has become a very good friend of mine.  
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* * *

><p>Over the next two weeks, Jeena made little progress in her plan to ask Rasui out on a date. There were a few opportunities, but they were either not completely right or her courage would fail. She knew that she was stalling; however, she also knew that if she waited too long, someone else would beat her to it and succeed.<p>

She had heard through Benny that two girls had already asked Rasui out, but he had turned them down. According to the most recent school gossip, he was now on the list of most sought after guys, and she believed it.

Ever since the dance, Rasui had undergone a small transformation. He was much more relaxed and spoke less formally. He laughed more and made small jokes of his own. This along with his natural good looks had boosted him from unknown new student to the most desirable guy around.

Some girls had even come up to her in hopes that she could set them up with him, but she flat out refused. It annoyed her to no end, but Jeena couldn't blame them for trying. As far as she knew, Rasui only saw her as one of his best friends and nothing more.

It was a disheartening thought, but she had to at least make a decent attempt. That is, if she could manage to pull herself together long enough to do it. Rasui did notice that she was rather distracted and routinely questioned her to determine what was wrong.

"I wish you would tell me what's on your mind?" he would say. She always replied with "It's nothing, really, don't worry about it," but she knew he didn't believe her.

Rasui was not the only thing on Jeena's mind. She kept having that strange dream and she still couldn't figure it out. She had done some online research, and found some useful tidbits of information but nothing that gave her a full explanation. She was irritated by it, and sometimes she dreaded falling asleep.

It wasn't the context of the dream that bothered her; it was the emotional aspect of it. She could feel every sensation as if it was happening to her, as if it was real, and it scared her.

Jeena still hadn't shared the dream with any of her friends or Jerry. She did not want to have to deal with the constant questioning and speculation. If she told Jerry, her mom might find out and fuss over her. After all, she justified, she didn't have the dream every single night so it wasn't truly affecting her. In fact, today's lack of sleep was the result of working on an essay till midnight.

Walking into English class, Jeena was pleased to discover that the teacher was not there and class was made into a study hall.

"Thank god, now I can take a nap," she said, dropping wearily into her chair. She tried resting her head on her folded arms, but that proved too uncomfortable. "Do you mind if I borrow your jacket?" she asked Rasui. "Go ahead," he replied, glancing up briefly from his copy of _Moby Dick_.

The dark jacket was soft and lined with fleece on the inside. Jeena folded it into a makeshift pillow and placed her head on it. Rasui's scent lingered on the fabric, and she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

* * *

><p><em>She was running through the desert.<em>

_ Hot sand struck her legs and the wind scorched her face. The sun blazed relentlessly in a harsh blue sky. _

_Her breath came in ragged gasps and there was a fire in her chest. _

_She could not stop. _

_She had to keep running, had to get away. _

_Fear and adrenaline coursed through her veins as she forced herself to run faster. She could her them behind her in hot pursuit._

_ A jagged cliff loomed close ahead. Maybe she could lose them among the rocks. _

_She was climbing. _

_Sharp stones were cutting into her hands, and the heat almost burned her skin. She scrambled to find her footing, nearly slipping several times. _

_She could hear her pursuers in the distance and felt a rush of hope. Perhaps she was going to escape. _

_She finally reached the top and continued running. Suddenly, she stopped dead in her tracks. _

_She was standing on the edge of a cliff, staring down at a raging river. Angry currents slammed and swirled against large boulders._

_ The roar of the river made it appear alive like a vicious animal. Ice-cold fear gripped her heart and she turned to get away. _

_To her horror, the pursuers had managed to reach her. _

_They stood a small distance away, faces shrouded in shadows. One of them, the leader, held out his hand. "No! I cannot go back to him!" she cried frantically. _

_They advanced towards her and she backed away till she was near the cliff's edge. She began to panic and desperately wished for a way to get away. _

_Then she remembered and quickly pulled out the dagger concealed under her sash. _

_The sunlight flashed off the metal blade as she plunged it into her heart. _

_She was falling, falling. _

_Agonizing pain seared into her heart and her vision blurred. _

_She could dimly hear the river's triumphant roar and her body hit the water._

* * *

><p>Jeena jolted upright with a gasp, startling Rasui out of his reading. "Are you alright?" he asked urgently, placing down his book. "I…I think…I don't know," she replied shakily, one hand clutching her chest. Giving the classroom a quick scan, she felt relieved that no one else had noticed her sudden outburst.<p>

"Jeena, please tell me what's wrong," Rasui quietly pleaded. Unnerved and desperate to talk to someone, Jeena finally gave in and told him all about her dream.

"When did you start having these dreams?" Rasui asked curiously. "A few weeks ago, give or take" she replied, "I don't know why I keep having them." "Maybe something in our Psychology textbook will provide a clue," he suggested helpfully.

"I already did research," Jeena sighed. "Nothing I found was very helpful. This one online dream dictionary said that falling dreams usually symbolize a major struggle in life."

She paused and continued carefully. "But the dream I just had was different. There was more detail. I- the girl in my dream- was falling because…because she had killed herself." "Did that dictionary say anything about suicide," Rasui inquired.

Jeena took her phone out of her bag, and while Rasui kept an eye out for the substitute teacher, she did a quick search.

"According to the dream dictionary, suicide in dreams usually represents a personal transformation or saying good-bye to an aspect of yourself." "Intriguing, although rather vague" he said once she was finished talking.

"Yeah," Jeena replied slowly. "Listen, I would really appreciate it if we just keep this between us. I don't want the rest of our friends worrying about me, and the last thing I want is Jerry freaking out over my health." Rasui placed his hand on hers and said reassuringly, "Trust me, Jeena, your secret is safe,"

She was momentarily stunned by the simple gesture, and then she remembered something. "There was one more thing about my dream. The girl was running away from someone. She said "Him" so it must have been a guy, but she was terrified about going back."

Rasui did not say anything about this new piece of information, but only gave an uncomfortable frown.

* * *

><p>True to his word, Rasui did not mention what went on during their English class, however, during the rest of the day; he would look at her with in calculating sort of way. Jeena figured he was checking to see if she was truly okay and not jumping at her own shadow.<p>

That thought irritated her a bit, but she did admit that it was nice to finally have told someone. She didn't realize how much the dream was weighing in her mind until it was finally lifted.

Then something happened, something so extraordinary that it drove all thoughts of the dream out of her mind.

It was Friday, and Jeena and Rasui were finishing up their daily tutoring session. She was progressing well, and there was a slow but definite rise in her grades. So far, she had managed to pass the past few quizzes and received a "70" on her last test.

"I'm glad the weekend is pretty much here. This felt like a long week," Jeena sighed as she shoved her binder into her backpack. "So am I," Rasui agreed, stacking his own binder and textbook into a small pile. "Jeena, do you have any plans for Saturday night?"

She took a second to think before replying, "Not that I know of. Why?" "I was wondering if you would like to do something tomorrow night, just the two of us." These words caught her completely off-guard and she could only stare at him with a dazed expression on her face.

Rasui continued on, not noticing her reaction. "I believe there are several movies playing down at the theater. We could have dinner and then go see one of them. There should be at least one decent movie to watch" He looked up at her and said quickly, "That is, if it's okay with you."

Jeena blinked and came back down to Earth. "Rasui, are you asking me out on a date?" Jeena asked with a tiny amount of disbelief. "Yes, I am," he answered boldly, his lips forming an amused smirk. "I'm sure that's what it's called when a guy asks a lovely girl to spend the evening with him."

"Well, in that case, I would love to," she said brightly. "Excellent! I was thinking about picking you up at 5:30, so dinner could be around 6:00," Rasui replied with a now joyful smile. "We could see the movie afterwards, and you can even pick which one we'll see." "And what restaurant will we be going to?" Jeena inquired, but he only gave her a stealthy grin. "You'll have to wait till tomorrow night to find out."

"Can I have just one little hint," she wheedled. "No hints," Rasui laughed, helping her into her jacket. "You are just going to have to be patient." "Fine," Jeena huffed dramatically, "But if I die from curiosity, I'm blaming you."

He rolled his eyes good naturally and steered her towards the door. "You look healthy enough so I'm sure you'll make it. I'll see you tomorrow night."

"See you then," Jeena replied back with a wide smile and, with a spring in her step, she headed home.

The sun was sinking and the shadows were deepening, but Jeena paid them no mind. She was finally going on a date with Rasui, and he was the one who asked her. _"Wow! I can't wait till Saturday night!"_


End file.
